To Love the Famous
by Spy Elf
Summary: What if Lina actually became as famous as she wanted? Short L/G songfic fluff


The Slayers belong to their creators, not to me. The song is "To Make You Feel My Love" by Garth Brooks and it belongs to its creators.

          Lina was in trouble again. 

Gourry wasn't always as stupid as he appeared to be. So he wasn't really book smart and couldn't remember names and dates to well. Gourry knew two things pretty well; he knew sword fighting and he knew he loved Lina. Of course, he couldn't tell her that. She'd fireball him to a crisp, _again_. Unless she loved him back. But, no, that was impossible. She showed Gourry just as attention as she showed Zelgadiss. Fortunately for Gourry, Zel was beginning to feel for Amelia what the princess had been feeling for the chimera. Gourry had never heard Zel talk so much in one night as when he found out that he might actually like Amelia. He had kept Gourry up all night. Then, the next day, Gourry had yawned all morning while Zel had gone back to being his old moody self. But, only after he had smiled at Amelia.

          Gourry sat down on the inn bed and pulled the dagger out of his boot. He had started keeping a few smaller blades on him since he had given the Sword of Light back to the Overworlders. It had been the right thing to do, but _now_ how was he going to protect Lina? It had been a month and three days since they had sent Darkstar back to the hell that he had come from. Yeah, Gourry knew the names of the evils that he and Lina had fought. After so often, receiving intense pain begins to make names and dates stick in a person's head.

          But Amelia had gone back to being a princess. Zel was off trying to find his cure, occasionally running into Lina and Gourry in the process. And Xellos? Well, Beastmaster Xelas only knew _where_ he was. Filia had opened her shop with baby Val, Jillas, and Garvos. Lina and he had stopped by to see her a few times. She wouldn't actually admit it, but they had both thought she kinda missed Xellos. Filia had seemed a little down when they mentioned that they had not heard from him. Gourry understood the way she felt. He didn't even want to think of how he would feel if someone took his favorite sparring partner away. Without Lina to fight with, Gourry didn't know what would happen to him.

          Yet, Lina and him remained together. And they had plenty of trouble to keep them busy. Fortune seekers and sorcerers who wished to be famous, were all calling out Lina. To them defeating the Dragon-Spooker, Bandit-Killer and Darklord-Destroyer, Lina Inverse, would give them automatic fame, without actually doing anything. Some of these people would do anything to defeat her, like sneak in her room while she was asleep and quietly kill her. Some idiot had tried that last night. Luckily for the would-be fortune seeker, Gourry had been awake getting a midnight snack. It would have been a lot more deadly if _Lina_ had found her almost murderer.

When the rain is blowing in your face

And the whole world is on your case

I could offer you a warm embrace

To make you feel my love

          Lina had always wanted to be famous. Well, now she was. And it was killing her. People wanted to meet her, kill her, or ask for her help. She had told Gourry in one drunken moment last week, that they "would make more money selling her to the highest bidder than they would usually make in a year." It was painful to Gourry to see this happen to Lina. The normally optimistic, happy, super-conceited girl was now tired all the time, slowly retreating into herself, and was beginning to shut Gourry out of her life too. But, Gourry wasn't about to go down without a fight.

          Gourry was the only one left with Lina that knew her before she was famous. Well, maybe there were a few other people who knew her. Her sister for one, but Lina _really_ didn't want to go see her. Gourry wasn't quite sure why she was so afraid of her sister, but if _she_ was, then Gourry would stay the hell away from Luna Inverse. Lina had only once commented that it was probably easier for her sister to remain a waitress and send Lina to defeat Darkstar than handling all the recognition that went with it. Lina was actually getting whiny. And she had stopped eating! Well, not really stopped completely, but Gourry had no competition for food anymore. Lina would eat what she got, but not his food. It was very uncomfortable to see Lina not fight for food. None of their friends would recognize the person that she was becoming.

When the evening shadows and the stars appear

And there is no one to dry your tears

I could hold you for a million years

To make you feel my love

          If Lina stopped fighting him for food, she stopped being Lina. Only when they were alone did he see glimpses of the old Lina. The Lina that he saw now was only a shadow of the fun and always-happy Lina Inverse. It was becoming so that Lina was a different person when they went outside of an inn. He was seeing less and less of the _real_ Lina and that only happened when they were alone. Which wasn't often since nobody would leave her alone. And how was Gourry supposed to protect her from people like that? He knew all about defeating monsters and the like, but nothing about people seeking fame. And while that subject is up, how the hell was he supposed to protect her from monsters and demons if he had no Sword of Light? Oh geez, now Gourry was getting whiny.

No, Gourry could not afford to become whiny too. He sat the well-sharpened dagger down on the bedside table and collapsed back onto the bed, grabbing the pillow to put behind his head. Lina was in trouble. People were still going to come after her to try and build their own reputations from her life. Gourry could not allow her to be hurt. She was sliding away from people because they were using her. How could he save her from that? Maybe, just maybe, he could prove to her that not everyone she sees wants to use her to promote his or her own self. He didn't want to use her to help himself. He loved her just the way she was. Even if she didn't have the biggest breasts in the world, they were hers, so they were perfect for him. Gourry just liked to tease her, except it caused a lot of pain. If only she knew that he loved her. What would she do, besides fireball him?

I know you haven't made your mind up yet

But I would never do you wrong

I've known it from the moment that we met

There's no doubt in my mind where you belong.

He remembered meeting her that first day. He thought that maybe he would help this kid find her parents. Or at least get her some candy. Little did he know that he would end up falling for the red haired sorceress. Yeah, she had definitely grown on him as the years passed. Zel and Amelia found it obvious that he loved her. Filia had said much of the same at one point. Gourry rolled over and pressed his head in the pillow. All of these friends and Lina, one of the smartest people he knew, couldn't tell he loved her? Sylphiel had even noticed and left him alone. Thank L-sama! Sylphiel was nice, but she didn't have the energy in life that Lina did. "Gourry dear" was beginning to grate on his nerves. Gourry wondered if Lina realized that Sylphiel had left because he truly did not love the shrine maiden, and did love Lina?

Gourry just sat there on his borrowed bed, thinking. How was he going to get Lina back to herself? This is not the kind of enemy that he was used to fighting. He had been in other positions where people or things had tried to hurt Lina, but this wasn't exactly the same thing. He had saved her many times, would do anything for her. Both Rezos (own his heart had stopped when Copy Rezo killed her), when Kanzel had sent her flying off the cliff when he thought she had no magic (_ok_, he admitted, _I cried_), he stepped in her place for a beating she was likely to get from Gaav, and the worst was when Hellmaster Phibrizzo had taken him and then L-sama had taken Lina's body to save Gourry's (worthless without her) life.

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue   
I'd go crawling down the avenue   
There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do   
To make you feel my love   
  


He flipped over onto his stomach. As parts of his mind ran in circles trying to find an answer, the rest of his senses were taking inventory of the surroundings. A trait that became very useful when a person happened to be a mercenary. His hearing picked up on the sound of feet running outside in the hall, slamming a door, and the soft sobs coming from within the room. His hearing registered the sounds and sent them on to his brain, which was full at the moment. His emotions picked up on the signal, noticed the importance, and slammed the information into his brain. That was Lina. And Lina was crying.

The storms are raging on a rolling sea

And on the highway of regret

The winds of change are blowing wild and free

You ain't seen nothin' like me yet

Gourry leapt up and headed for the door. What had happened? He went out, to her door and knocked softly, "Lina, are you ok?" The sniffled "no" he got in return didn't sound too promising. He tried the knob and was surprised when the door opened. "Lina, what happened? Why are you crying?" He stood behind her where she was sitting on the bed. He began stroking her long hair, almost afraid to hold her for fear of incoming fireballs.

"Gourry, I have to get out of this town. I need to go tonight, now. Wherever we go, it doesn't matter, just away. And preferably alone." Lina cried as she spoke, sounding angry and sad. But her words prompted immediate action as Gourry moved to pack her belongings up.

"Alright, Lina. We'll leave. Just give me a few minutes."

She watched him move around, putting her things back in her bags. She knew she owed him an explanation of why they were leaving the day they arrived, but he asked no questions beyond the first few. Why did he do this for her? She had to know. 

"I was walking around in the merchant's quarter when I overheard a few kids talking. One young girl said that she wanted to travel with us and help us 'defeat evil.' She sounded kind of like Amelia did at first. But then this older boy answered her, shooting down her optimism. Do you know what he said?" Gourry stopped moving around and gave her his full attention as she continued to cry and speak, "He said, 'Why would you want to travel with the one person who could get you killed on any given day? Her friends have all discovered this and left, except that one guy. You would die by being around her sooner than you ever could become famous.' And its true, isn't it? I get everyone killed. I just attract death and killers. It is why Amelia and Zel left, and Xellos left us, and Filia has no choice but to _not_ raise a child around me. It is only a matter of time before something else happens. Why do you stay when you could so easily be next, Gourry?"

There and nothin' that I wouldn't do   
Go to the ends of the earth for you   
Make you happy make your dreams come true   
To make you feel my love

Gourry turned to her. This was the opportunity his chicken little butt had been waiting for. Now, fireball or not, he was going to hold her. So, he walked swiftly to the bed and pulled her to him in a tight embrace. "Lina, you are not, in any way, leading people to their deaths. You have friends who follow you because they want to. And it isn't your fault that many want you dead, you didn't do anything to them, personally. Amelia, Zel, Filia, and even Xellos have responsibilities in their lives that need to be taken care of, not because you will eventually kill them. And I stay because it is my responsibility to protect you. Because I love you." He waited, barely breathing into the sudden silence, listening for some spell to be chanted so he could move. But what happened wasn't exactly what he had expected, but not objectionable at all.

She kissed him. Lina kissed him.

"I love you, too, Gourry."


End file.
